[The paraneoplastic syndrome]

Abstract

The notion of the paraneoplastic syndrome contains a great number of signs which are not to be explained by the local growth of the tumour. The disturbances may express themselves in form of fever, anorexia and cachexia, or they may also affect selectively determined organs. As a cause for these tumour-associated changes, apart from unspecific and specific metabolic functions of the tumour cell, also the sequelae of immunological reactions between tumour and host organism are made responsible. The metabolic remote action of malignant neoformations proved as clearly manifest above all in the paraneoplastic endocrinopathies. Though most of the paraneoplastic syndromes are not strongly specific for the tumour their knowledge may be significant in the diagnostics and control of the course of neoplasias. This is also the case in emergency situations which can be evoked by such pathological processes. The most important paraneoplastic syndromes and problems of their pathogenesis are explained.